• Question: How far are you from making a drug that potentially could help treat or cure diabetes?

    Asked by qasimsaleem321 to Julia on 10 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by hannahmvnich, chloe97xox, blazingwhatyahhmean12, minidt2208, emilyjordan, ryanmccabe.
    • Photo: Julia Griffen

      Julia Griffen answered on 10 Jun 2011:

      Not very far 🙁

      My research is at the very early stages. Similar compounds to the ones I’m making are commercial medicines. See for a brief overview ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voglibose )

      I am currently at the stage of making the potential compound. When I have made these they need to be tested to see if they have any effect on the enzymes that are involved with diabetes.
      If there are effective (they may not be) they will need to be rigorously tested again and again to make sure they work and have no side effects.

      I worked for Glaxo Smith Kline for a year while at university and they research and make millions of drugs. Typically it take 15 years for a drug to go from research to market, and costs alot of money to do so. There are so many safety and cost issues to take into account to take a drug to market!

      Maybe one day I will… but in the mean time I’ll have fun trying!!

      Hope that answers your question!

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